Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-03-19

your manner and more girlish gayety
into your dress. You dress ike nun,
except at such times as I insist upon the
contrary"
s1YOu may order any styled dress yOu
choose, mother, and viii wear It; but
if you think I shall strive FOR the admir-
alton OF men, you forget You must
know that shall never marry
Mrs. Randolph sighed
81 think you are foolish to let your
broken engagement with Relph Essen
influence your future"
cit does not. Such natures as mine
love but once, and" then she DIT her
lip to control further speech
''By the way, I hear he has returned.
I hone YOU can meet him without max
ing a scene. You know your weakness"
Francia's lip curled seOrnfully, then
she looked steadily at her mother, who
shifted her eyes uneasilY.
my weakness, then, is that love
him. Is that what you mean, motherr''
Mrs. Randolph responded family;
s.Yes."
'Then console yourself, for I neither
love nor hate him"
Mrs. Randolph said no more, but left
the room with a feeling OF vague uneasi-
ness.
..If she would only forget that mani
How can tell whether she loves him or
not? How can 1 tell how she viii meet
him? But meet him she must, poor,
passionate-hearted grill and no one can
austain her"
The birthnight fete passed OF success
/ fully. F'ranciE was lovely IN garnet vel
vet and cream satin, and her arms and
neck cleaned like pink-tinted marble;
but her face wore its usual statuesque
coldness-the GOODNESS that had
only become habituRl since her recovery
| from her illness.
An English gentleman was much at
tracted by her great beauty, but her
frigidity repealed him.
"She has no soul. She freezes me"
i.She is all soul. You do not possess
the magic key to open the casket," said
a friend.
The Englishman asseated indiffer-
emily, and went his way; but fate had
marked him. 1t was during the sum
mer, while the Randolph family were re-
siding at their country home, that Fran
cia met the man whom she had once so
mGdly worshiped. He came purPosely
TO see her.
II supposed, Franeia, you had heard
Of my arrival, and 1 thought I owed it to
You to see Won once more" he said, as
she entered the room and rose to greet
her
''WhyY' she asked, looking not at
him, but at his card which she had
brought with her. She did not take the
hand he held out to her Man Of the
world that he WAS, he seemed to become
confused at her simple query.
StAIy reasons should be plain to YOU
HWhy?" she asked again, slowly tear
ing into bits the card in her hand.
He shifted his position, then came up
70 her and laid his fingers on her de-
structiYe ones.
"Sit down. 1t is ridiculous for us to
go on this way, and I have much TO say
to you"
She freed her hand from his trembling
fingers, and for the first time lifted her
eyes to his.
81 can not understand what you could
possibly have to say to me that would
| sufficiently interest me to such an extent
that I should be kept standing long.
Do you sit down, but prefer TO stand. %
He wet his dry lips, and at first his
voice was husky, but as he proceeded it
! became clearer and stronger.
"Francia, I have come to beg your
pardon. You would not give me my
freedom when L asked, or, rather. took it.
and now / am glad that you did not.
thought L was tired Of your love-
thought L could easily forget you.
went so far as to make love to Genie Re
nard, the woman for whose sake you SO
bitterly upbraided me the day We parted
but she laughed at me, and then / knew
how L had wrOnged you. would have
gone back to you then, but pride was
stronger than love. went abroad
meaning to return In a year, but two
| years went by before L could decide what
was best for me to do. Now I have
come back ask you to be my wife-I
ask you to love me and forgive any SUI
fering L may have caused you"
He went closer to her, but she put out
her hand imperatively. In the other
hand the tiny bits of his visiting card
lay in a confused mass.
"DO you think Won could piece to-
gether this card and make Is as spotless
as brilliant, as perfect, as it was an hour
agO?" she asked.
His hands closed spasmodically over
hers.
"Francia, do not torture me-dO not
be cruelI know that you love me-
"StopP' she cried, imperiously, fling
ing out her hand and scattering the torn
card In white shower over the floor
1NOw I must speak plainly. Just as
impossible as it is for you to restore the
bloom to the grape which you have
handled too roughly, just as impossible
it Is for me to love you. Once L would
have given my life for yOu-once would
have been your slave for sweet loves
sake. But you outraged my love, and
turned my worship to indifference, which
is more to be feared than hate. I gave
you alI-and lost ALI And now have
nothing to give you, or any man. De
spair has darkened my soul, slain my
youth, killed Joy, and hope, and faith
Never again viii Lowell Never again
viii woman love you as I did; but you
threw it away-yOu trampled 1t under
your feet as If it were Something toe
base for useI And now you stoOp &c
regain it, AMI tell you it is too late, toe
IRteP'
Slowly turning, she left him. He
stood with his head bent upon his hands
for moment, then he, too, left the room.
Too late, forever too late, to win the
boon Of this ''one that was a woman,
sir"
Five years afterward Francia Randolph
married the Englishman, Frederick